Nearly half of Republican voters disapprove of Paul Ryan’s performance as House Speaker, according to a new poll released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling.
{mosads}Only 40 percent of GOP voters are happy with Ryan’s stint as Speaker so far, while 44 percent disapprove. Those numbers worsen among all voters, with just 30 percent approval and 48 percent disapproval.
Many establishment Republicans have looked to Ryan to unify the party, and speculation has grown as to whether he would mount his own last-ditch candidacy to attempt to block presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
The new poll indicates that concern about Trump’s effect on the party may be justified. Forty-five percent of voters said they would be less likely to vote for a Senate candidate who supports Trump, while just 26 percent say the opposite. Candidates who back the presumptive GOP nominee receive a 23 point net negative favorability rating from independent voters.
The poll surveyed 1,222 registered voters from May 6 to 9. It has a margin of error of 3.2 percent.